So Close... or learning to love the present and trying to look at the everything with new eyes.

So we're at 85% of of our monthly budget pledged. It could be more. What does that mean? We need about $700 more a month in support. 14 people at $50 a month. That means if we can get 2 new supporters a week at $50 a month, we'll be buying our tickets to Zambia sometime in the next two weeks. That means we'll be leaving in a little over 7 weeks. WOW! After praying about going to Africa for almost 2 years and working towards going to Zambia for a year and a half, and support-raising for 11 months, and speaking at a dozen+ bible studies for the past 5 months, suddenly Zambia is SO CLOSE! When you are so focused on support-raising and training and preparing for something for so long it's easy to forget that when you are finished with that - it means you actually move to central Africa!!! WOW!! It's like being pregnant (not that I would totally understand this), you spend massive amounts of time preparing and learning and longing for the birth. Little do you realize that the birth day is over in 24 hours or less and then your new life starts. It feels the same for us. Soon we'll finish packing our 10 bags and we'll really board that airplane for Lusaka. Amazing. What a year it has been. God has used this year to build and grow my faith and trust in Him like no other year in my life. We are beyond excited about setting our departure date and getting to Zambia and digging in to cultural and language learning. We can't wait to serve churches, children and pastors in the slums of Lusaka. We can't believe what God has done in us this year. And next year will make this year look easy. Very easy. I'm sure at some point in the next six months I'll wish I was sleeping comfortably in the cool and mosquito-free basement of the Baron's home. I'll desire so deeply to be with our Oikos family. I'll want nothing more than to ride my bike from Fairhaven to the Cheerful on the Interurban trail at sunrise and drink espresso and chat with the crew there. So here we are weeks left in the PNW. I need to open my eyes and see everything new. To love and spend time with my friends and enjoy every minute that God gives. I'm sure it'll be a bittersweet joy.
That said:
-my last day at the Little Cheerful is Memorial Day (May 31st) - ending a solid 8 year run.
-we would love to see you. call us. 360-739-2484
-we need your support. Click here to become a monthly supporter http://bit.ly/d5uQix
-praise God for our friends and family, my time at the Cheerful and of course for Oikos.
-pray that we say our goodbyes well.